Let’s face it…picking the right band for your wedding or party is a difficult decision. We know you put a lot of faith in your entertainment choice. Often these are people you have never met, and it’s likely that you’ve never seen them perform live before. This is one of the BIGGEST nights of your life, and choosing the right entertainment is one of the most important aspects of a killer party. But no pressure, right?
not to worry…we’ve got you!
Here's a little about who we are and where we came from...
Our group, The Music City Sound, was started back in 2015 by myself (C.T. Blackmore) and my great friend, now business partner, Will Elliott. Will (Nashville native) and myself (St. Louis born and Nashville resident of almost 15 years) started playing in bands in Nashville together around 2007. Through these gigs, we eventually landed a wonderful touring opportunity with country artist Jerrod Niemann. Believe it or not, Will and I are both horn players at heart. I received a degree in Saxophone Commercial Music Performance from Belmont University, and Will has a Masters and Bachelors of Music, with his main instrument being trombone. So yeah, you could say we are band nerds...but don't...
When Jerrod hired us to head out on the road, our main gig was filling out his horn section...but eventually, Will transitioned into the keyboard position, while I began playing guitar and singing background vocals. You've gotta wear a lot of hats to make it in Music City. We toured with Jerrod for a few years and played between 150 - 200 shows a year on some pretty MASSIVE tours. Needless to say, we got to know each other pretty well. This tour gave Will and I countless opportunities to become masters of our craft, as well as learn a great deal about the music industry. Through the opportunities with Jerrod, Will and I now have the great privilege of saying that we've shared the stage with legends such as Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Aretha Franklin...and so many more incredible performers. Give me a second while I pick up all the names I just dropped...
Oh and here's a photo of Will and I playing with Miranda…
Okay, let me pick that one up too...
But long story short, when you live on the road with these brilliant minds and performers, you have the opportunity to learn so much about all the gears it takes to run this massive music industry machine...and we were sponges to it all.
Eventually, Will and I began to have the itch to take a stab at it. Plus, the road is hard...no doubt about it, and we both were missing home. I had recently gotten married and was wanting to be home a good bit more, and Will wanted to start building some of his own roots here in Nashville. So in 2015, Jerrod gave us his blessing, and we started brainstorming on how to create our own group. "The Music City Sound" is a name I bounced off of Will 15,000 feet in the air when we were flying from gig to gig, and it was the one that clicked. Nashville truly is "Music City”. It's history and influence on the entertainment industry is undeniable, and today, with it growing at such an incredible rate, our town is booming with some of the most incredible, diverse, and influential music within mainstream music today. Our desire is to encompass all of that magic in what we do. We want to give audiences the best from the 70's to today, and with Nashville holding it down in the unique way that it does, there's really no better name for what we do!
We've been on this journey ever since and have poured everything into this business venture...and we're proud of what we've become.
The terms "wedding band" or "corporate entertainment group" are words that are thrown around so casually these days...and we don't really "jive" with that classification.
When you hear "wedding band" you most likely immediately think of this…
And though we all love this classic flick...it could not be further from what we do.
Our standards are high, and being from this town, our expectations from our musicians and singers are equally as high. When you hear our band, we want you to experience all of which Nashville and it's musical diversity has to offer. Yeah, we can play some T-Swift, but we can also rock some Stevie Wonder and then head straight into a little Bruno, sprinkled with some Beyonce...and followed up with some Tina Turner. The versatility and performance quality of our guys and gals will pack the dance floor.
Woah...
Yes, we take this all quite seriously. For most of our members, this is our full time job... our livelihood. All frills aside...this is our passion, and we honor the privilege of getting to play music for a living.
So let's talk some shop...because this IS a business after all...
When it comes to business, we believe transparency is key, and when you get to know Will and I, we want nothing more than our clients to trust us...to trust the work we do and the level of professionalism we put behind it. It truly means the world to us that you would consider hiring us for your event. We want to do it right.
So long story short...We don't always get the chance to get to know you during this process. It's business...we get it, and we respect it...and there's normally a lot to cover in a limited amount of time...but we hope at the end of it all, we're friends, and have made your night one of your most memorable yet!
So after all the craziness and business has been settled...get to know us. We're just a couple of guys and gals from good ole Music City, and we promise you'll like us!
C.T.